Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic tape, a magnetic tape cartridge, a magnetic recording and reproducing device, and a method of manufacturing a magnetic tape.
Discussion of the Background
Magnetic recording media include tape-shaped media and disk-shaped media. Magnetic recording media in the form of tapes, that is, magnetic tapes, are primarily employed in storage applications such as data-backup tapes.
When recording a signal on or reproducing a signal from a magnetic tape, a magnetic tape cartridge housing the magnetic tape is normally loaded into a drive, and the magnetic tape is run within the drive, bringing the surface of the magnetic tape (surface of the magnetic layer) into contact with (causing it to slide over) a magnetic head. Hereinafter, the term “magnetic tape” will also be referred to simply as a “tape” and the term “magnetic head” will also be referred to simply as a “head”.
To increase the recording capacity of an individual magnetic tape cartridge, it is desirable to increase the overall length of the magnetic tape that is housed in each magnetic tape cartridge. To that end, efforts have been made to reduce the thickness of the magnetic tape (referred to as “reducing the thickness” hereinafter). An example of one way of reducing the thickness of the magnetic tape is to reduce the thickness of one or more layers contained in the magnetic tape. In this regard, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 2011-48878 describes setting a magnetic layer thickness of less than or equal to 0.1 μm (Claim 1 of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 2011-48878). The contents of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 2011-48878 as well as English language family members US2011/052908A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 8,535,817 are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.